Chapter 7 – Team Arrow

AN – Again, thank you all for your continued support! I absolutely appreciate all who read, review, fave, and/ or follow! Many thanks to you, Mic, for your continued support that goes way beyond that of a beta!

AN2 - This chapter is dedicated to all who love our original Team Arrow trinity as much as I do! Here's hoping tonight's finale includes some wonderful Diggle, Oliver, and Felicity moments for us!

DISCLAIMER – Absolutely no claim on CW's Arrow but I would accept Oliver Queen as a gift! :)

Oliver heard the worry in his friend's tone and nodded his acceptance. He would do whatever was best for Felicity even if that meant he had to accept that she would have scars of her own, ghosts of her own. He wanted nothing more than to lock her away and protect her but that simply wasn't Felicity, that wasn't the woman he loved. For them to have a future together, he needed to accept Felicity as a fellow soldier and he needed to help her accept that too…assuming that is what she wanted.

Felicity awoke the next morning feeling surprisingly normal. She reached over for her glasses off her nightstand table but only her hand grabbed a rock instead. Felicity jerked awake and remembered that she was on the Island, she remembered that she was alive and that Detective Lance was dead. Even as the feelings of guilt and fear returned to steal her breath Felicity sought and found Diggle's sympathetic eyes. She gave him a brief nod as she tried to take several deep breaths. She also remembered Diggle's words that she should expect a difficult adjustment.

Oliver returned from a quick run with game from their traps just as Felicity stood up from her sleeping bag. He took a quick inventory and noticed the sleep had done her good as the dark circles weren't as pronounced and her color was better as well. He also noticed she seemed tense though and when she avoided his eyes to walk from camp he turned to Diggle in question.

"She's just remembering and trying to handle it. This is really the first morning for her since that night that she's aware and alert. She needs time." Diggle added the last sentence when Oliver's gaze returned to the path Felicity took as he knew his friend was considering chasing her down.

Oliver knew Diggle was right, but he was still considering following Felicity just to be sure she didn't stray too far away. He took one step in her direction when Diggle spoke again.

"Let's prepare some breakfast for her." Diggle motioned to the game Oliver still held. "She'll be fine, Oliver."

Oliver nodded and then moved to help with their food preparations even if he kept some of his senses attuned to the sounds of Felicity's presence nearby. She had remained close to camp but did not return until the food was ready. Oliver again looked her over and noticed she now appeared resolute, determined, instead of hesitant and fearful. A determined Felicity was one he easily recognized and he couldn't help but smile at her.

"Okay, we need a plan." Felicity announced when she returned to camp. She was grateful they had given her time alone though as it allowed her to refocus her thoughts and feel a little more comfortable in her own skin. Her memories still blended with her nightmares so Felicity still felt betrayed by her own mind but she was determined to move forward.

"A plan for what?" Diggle questioned when Felicity stopped speaking. Typically determined Felicity quickly blurted out her ideas so while she seemed more cautious Diggle was still grateful to see Felicity act like Felicity.

"A plan to get my sanity back – well, whatever was left of it after I decided to join Team Arrow anyway." Felicity teased even as she stalled. "I still don't have all my memories back in order so you guys just need to tell me what happened." Felicity had instinctively rebelled against just accepting anyone's version of reality instead of counting on her own mind but this was Oliver and John. She trusted them with her life so she finally accepted that she had to trust them with her sanity too. They had information and she needed it.

Oliver and Diggle exchanged looks as they knew that was a big step for Felicity. Despite seeming like an open book, they had learned over their years together that Felicity not only valued information but also guarded her own quite skillfully. Despite the closeness of Team Arrow, they really knew very little about her past but they did understand how Felicity's mind worked.

"Okay." It was Oliver who agreed, but then he hesitated as he wasn't sure where to start. He watched as Felicity sat near him and stared at him with a look of great concentration and expectation.

"The cure worked and Oliver was able to kill Slade, we actually killed every soldier he had there…including Isabel Rochev." Diggle jumped in as he knew Oliver wasn't ready to remind Felicity of Slade's reason for targeting her. He actually wasn't sure Felicity would be able to handle that right now anyway so it seemed best to move on.

Felicity sat and listened as Oliver and Diggle took turns telling her what had happened. She focused on their words even as she tried to match images from her mind to them. She was surprised and had to check her still healing injury when they discussed her stay in the hospital. Felicity wasn't surprised by the funeral recollection though as those memories were among her strongest – she was glad when both men emphasized that neither Lance sister blamed her for their father's death. She was thankful that both men glossed over their plane ride here, but she couldn't resist glaring at them again for tossing her out of the plane especially as they knew perfectly well she would have been terrified if she had aware.

Oliver and Diggle both grinned when Felicity's continued annoyance with the plane trip flashed across her face. Every sign of their old friend was comforting even if this particular sign was an angry glare. Diggle kept them on track though and told Felicity how their plan hadn't worked and she had remained distant even once they were on the Island.

Felicity kept hearing their voices in her mind and she even raised a hand to stop their words as she focused on the memories. "Did you guys talk to me?" Felicity rolled her eyes at her own cryptic question and tried again. "I mean I can hear your voices in my memories, but it feels strange—"

"We did talk to you but you rarely spoke back." Oliver understood Felicity's first question but wasn't sure he wanted her to understand. He hadn't really thought she had heard him when he shared about his own past and the future he wanted them to have. Oliver couldn't deny he loved Felicity, but he was determined to protect her from that burden.

Diggle had also understood Felicity and added his own explanation. "They say patients in comas react to the presence of family and friends. We did talk to you Felicity – we tried to reach you."

Felicity nodded her acceptance even as she frowned at her continued inability to remember and understand. Clearly she would be dependent upon their account if her brain continued to betray her.

"Talking didn't work though so Diggle had the idea to get you to train with us. He thought…" Now that Oliver was sharing the information with Felicity he finally made the connection that Diggle had intentionally used gunfire to shock Felicity. It hadn't been part of their plan but apparently his friend had a plan of his own. He turned to him in question now.

Diggle met Oliver's eyes and formulated the answer he knew he needed. Before he could respond though, Felicity spoke.

"He thought what? Oh no, that's why I remember fighting you! You actually punched at me!" Felicity couldn't believe the oh so brilliant strategy her friends had developed to help her. Oliver had never truly supported her training efforts and had even mocked her attire when Sara tried to teach her a few things. She hadn't continued the training after that.

"Yes, he did but it worked. You followed the block sequences we had demonstrated. Stand up Felicity." Diggle knew Oliver still needed answers but he needed one too.

Felicity glared at Oliver for a second longer before she stood up. As soon as she faced Diggle he started to punch at her and Felicity responded with a block. She wasn't sure where that response came from, but there was no time to think about it as Diggle punched again and she was again forced to block it.

Oliver watched in surprise as Diggle and Felicity performed each of the katas they had taught her. While her memory remained blurry in her mind it seemed her body retained the lesson. He was surprised she moved as well as she did, as he remembered Sara commenting previously that he should have taught Felicity the basics at least as she had no idea how to even throw a punch. Oliver had ignored the comments and even ignored Felicity's own attempts though to train as he just couldn't accept her facing such dangers. He knew he would have to now and he wanted to be the one who trained her.

Felicity stared in amazement at Diggle when he stepped back and grinned at her. "What the hell was that?"

Diggle laughed before he replied. "That's what we tried to bring you back. The Island helped Oliver the last time because he pushed himself physically beyond his limits – he found a way to break through the barriers and handle Tommy's death. You didn't do anything Felicity though and, at first, we didn't make you. We couldn't reach you with words though so we had to try what worked for Oliver and that was to get you to respond physically." Diggle paused to look at Oliver now. He wanted to meet his friend's eyes as he explained further.

"You trained with us that morning and even spoke to us during lunch but there was still a barrier left. I suggested target practice as I knew there was a pretty good chance the sound of gunfire would take you back to that night. I thought that if I could just get you to go back there then we could help you handle it." Diggle kept the eye contact with Oliver and watched as he processed his words.

Felicity heard the distinction as Diggle switched from 'we' to 'I'. She turned to Oliver to see his reaction and wasn't surprised to see him nod at Diggle. He might not have known the plan but he clearly accepted it now. Felicity realized she needed to do the same thing as without them she might not have made it back on her own.

"Okay, then!" Felicity agreed then laughed as both men looked at her in surprise. It was clear they both still felt guilty not only for failing to help her at first, but also for how they actually helped her. "Really, it's okay. I might not have made it back without you guys so clearly the plan worked and was worth it."

"You wouldn't have needed to make it back if it wasn't for me—" Oliver still felt guilty over keeping Felicity close enough to put her in danger. He wasn't surprised though when both of his friends interrupted to deny it.

"No, Oliver, it's the three of us." Diggle spoke at the same time Felicity did.

"Team Arrow was my choice Oliver!" Felicity continued after she shared a smile with Diggle. "It's not actually only about you Oliver. Diggle and I have both made the choice to be here…well, not here on this Island but here together. You aren't to blame for my choice nor for any consequence of it. If you showing up bleeding in my car wasn't an obvious warning that this is dangerous then perhaps the Dodger, the Count, the Clock King…you know, they really need better villain names as they don't sound as scary as they actually were!" Felicity ended abruptly as both Diggle and Oliver laughed.

"It did all start with the three of us. I want it to continue to be the three of us." Oliver spoke softly and seriously as their laughed died down.

"I'm in." Diggle quickly agreed and offered a hand to Oliver.

"Me too." Felicity smiled then took the few steps needed to allow her to hug Diggle after he had shaken hands with Oliver. She then turned to Oliver and hugged him as well.

It started with the three of us and it would continue to be the three of us.